Low-flying choppers this week

Pacific Gas & Electric Company says its helicopters will be conducting low-flying inspection patrols through June 15, taking stock of power lines in Yolo and Solano counties.

[adrotate group=”7″] “A helicopter will fly at approximately 250 to 300 feet, depending on the area and if livestock are present,” said PG&E spokesperson Brandi Ehlers in a press release. “Helicopter patrols are usually done in rural areas where power lines are not close enough to roads to patrol by vehicle or foot.”

These rural areas include Clarksburg, south of West Sacramento, she added.

The patrols will take place between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays, with inspectors looking for sagging lines, hazardous trees, and potential fire hazards. Problems will be noted for repair work “ahead of storm season,” said Ehlers.